The goal of this renewal application is to provide 1) detailed basic cell biology and molecular information about the viral particle that is anterogradely transported; 2) the mechanisms by which HSV is anterograde axonally transported; and 3) the viral gene(s) that are required for anterograde transport. Retinal ganglion cells will be the model, because virus moving in the anterograde direction can be distinguished from that moving in the retrograde direction. The applicants hypothesize that HSV uses normal intracellular targeting mechanisms to accomplish its transport and targeting. With information gained from this proposal, they can begin to unravel the molecular signals involved in the infection and transport of the herpes virus, as well as the mechanisms of infection of other clinical significant neurotropic viruses, such as cytomegalovirus, varicella-zoster virus.